Puncturing holder for gas cartridge



Jan. 1, 1952 B. P. BAKER PUNCTURING HOLDER FOR GAS CARTRIDGE Filed June 9, 1948 lhwent'or attorney Patented Jan. 1, 1952 UNITED STA-res PATENT oFrIcs 1 v 2,580,639 I h Bill I. Baker,

oanrmncs San Diego, Calif., as'signor to su perior Plastics, Inc., El Segundo, Calif., a corporation of California. 7

' ApplicationJuneB, 1948, SerialNo. 31,856

. :NZCIaimS. 1

This invention relates to life preserve'rs and deals more particularly with a construction that is-folded into-a small unit for convenient wearing bybathers and swimmers and is adapted-to be inflated by a simple pressure of the hand,

means, and is folded aroundsaid latter means to provide a. compact easilycarried or worn unit. Another object of the invention is to provide azlifepreserver, as indicated, inrwhich the cartridge and puncturing, means are enclosed in a pervious container to reduce the rate of expansion of the gas and thereby protect the fabricof the preserver against the initial extremely cold blast of gas as thecartridge" is first punctured.

A. further object of the invention is torprovide alife preserver, as above, that is contained within an outer envelope, the latter rupturing or otherwise disintegrating under the force of expanding gas.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a, working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawings merely Show and the following description merely describes one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a partial plan and partial sectional view of a life preserver in open flat condition and embodying features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, partly folded, of the life preserver, portions being broken away for clearer illustration.

Fig. 3 is a plan sectional view of the folded life preserver.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the gas cartridge and puncturing means before the latter has been pressed.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the upper portion of Fig. 4 after the-cartridge has been-punctured. P i V The life preserver that is illustrated comprises, generally, an outer preferably liquid impervious envelope I0, water wings H adapted to be folded within said envelope, a gas cartridge I2, means 13 for holding said cartridge and'for' puncturing the-same when release of the gas thereinis-desired, and an air or gas pervious container or sack l4, enveloping both the cartridge-and the means [3, for decreasing the expansive force er the gas to obviate a deleterious effect on the-water wings by the gas. V I

The envelope I0 may be formed as a. sack" I5 into the open endofwhich the fold'ed life preserver isplaced'and the same is then sealed as at It. As a variation said sack-l5-may be disruptableunder inner pressure and may-be formed as a cold dipplastic film provided onthe outside of the folded 'w'a'te'rwingsl In any caise, the envelope lli disrupts, disintegrates," or otherwise opens under pressure from within:

The water wings II are formed in any suitable manner of impervious material suchas rubber, rubber coated fabric, or anysuit'able plastic sheet material. The shape shown is conventional and is provided for the convenience with which it may be grasped. The water wings are formed of a sheet that is folded at 11 and the superimposed edges are cemented together as at l 8 to enclose the gas-containing unit within sack I l. The latter is preferably placed at the approximate middle of the water wings substantially as shown. The water wings are then longitudinally folded one or more times as indicated at l9 to quite closely confine said unit, and then folded transversely from the outer ends inwardly along successive lines 20, 2| and 22 to achieve the compact result indicated in Fig. 3.

It will be noted that the gas-containing unit, while within the water wings, is in the outer transverse fold thereof. Thus, when the gas is released, first fold 22 is opened, then fold 2|, and finally fold 20. The gas is thus unhampered as it flows toward the ends of the water wings and rupture of the material of said wings, during the distending, is thus obviated. The water wings are completely inflated upon opening of the longitudinal fold or folds IS.

The cartridge I2 is generally conventional, the same comprising a cylindrical body 23 having a reduced neck 24 and a puncturable diaphragm 25 at the end of said neck.

The means [3 comprises a housing part 26 into encompassing prongs 28 that cooperate with the seat to retain the cartridge in the housing part.

A handle part 29 is integrally connected at a hinge 30 to said housing part and is generally coextensive with the latter. A puncturing pin 3| is car-, ried by the handle part adjacent hinge 30 and aligned with diaphragm 25. By grasping means;

, being provided with a seat for the end of the [3 in one hand and squeezing, the handle part 29 is moved on its hinge to cause pin 31 topuncture the cartridge substantially as shown in Fig. 5:

' This squeezing action is readily efiected because,

of the ready pliability of the folded water wings and the envelope therearound.

When the gas, in this case, carbon dioxide, is released, the rapid expansion thereof generates ex treme cold that may deleteriously affect the material of the water wings.

unit.- fff'fIhus the gas must pass through the pores or interstices of said sack, is slowed up thereby and prevented from freezing the water wings.

While I have illustrated and described what I ,25

now gregard as the preferred embodiment of my invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modifications without departing from the spirit). andfscope of my invention. I, therefore, do not wish fito restrict myself to the particular form of I construction illustrated and described, but desire,

to avail myself of all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what -=I 'claim 'and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: j 35 1.},In a device of the character described, a gasthe housing and integrally formed with and con nected to the endof the housing opposite to said seat, said handle being provided with a portion extending across the end of the cartridge thatis adjacent to the point of connection with the Accordingly, the fabric zo sack is provided to enclose the gas-containing housing, said handle being pivotally movable relative to the housing on said point of connection in V a direction toward the cartridge, and a cartridgepuncturing pin on the handle and directed toward the cartridge to puncture the same upon pivotal movement of the handle.

2. A holder for an elongated gas-filled cartridge having a puncturable end, said holder comprising a unitary stamping formed to have an elongated part housing said cartridge, said elongated part cartridge opposite to the puncturable end thereof and with lateral prongs encompassing an intermediate partof the cartridge, said seat and prongs retaining the cartridge in the housing, a handle having a portion extending above and across the puncturable end of the cartridge and a portion generally coextensive in length with the housing, said handle being integrally pivotally connected to the end of the housing opposite to the seat thereof, and a puncturing member on the portion of the handle that extends across the puncturable end of the cartridge and directed toward said end to puncture the latter upon movement of the coextensive portion of the handle on the pivotal connection toward the cartridge.

BILL P. BAKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Italy l Apr. 10, 1931 

